The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) moved its annual CyberFirst summer courses online, with virtual classes for 14 to 17-year-olds run by qualified instructors through June to August. The change in format has prompted the highest number of applications yet. More than 1,700 UK pupils will be accepted on to the courses – an increase of 600 (35pc) from last year, the NCSC reports.
Children are taught how to analyse common cyber attacks, crack codes and defend devices and networks, with the help of leading experts from industry and GCHQ.
Chris Ensor, NCSC Deputy Director for Cyber Growth, said: “Moving this year’s CyberFirst summer courses online has proven hugely popular, with a record number of boys and girls participating and developing their cyber skills from home – in a way that is fun, insightful and engaging.
“These courses offer a golden opportunity for young people to explore their interests in cyber security and hopefully they will be inspired to pursue this further and become a part of the next generation of cyber talent.”
Courses are being offered at three levels: Cyber Defenders (14-15-year-olds), Futures (15-16-years-old), Advanced (16-17-years-old). The aim; helping pupils develop their digital and problem-solving skills and to introduce them to the cyber threat landscape.
The first cohort has just completed the free two-week course. One pupil on the pilot describing it as “a great learning experience”. In previous years the NCSC has offered residential summer courses, but in light of the uptake of online learning this year it will look to offer a future mix of both.
One pupil who took part in the pilot course said:
“For an online delivery of the course, this was amazing. It was a great learning experience and so much more fun than I originally anticipated.”
At the end of the course, pupils receive a certificate to show the course is recognised by the NCSC and the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA).
Sir Charlie Mayfield, chairman of QA, said: “These initiatives from NCSC and DCMS are set to deliver a great summer of learning for young people across the UK. Digital skills are the single largest area of skills shortage in the UK and the CyberFirst programmes tackle this issue head on – and have the added benefit of keeping young minds active at this difficult time.
“The road to the UK’s economic recovery from this pandemic will be built on the skills we learn at this time. That’s why it was critical that initiatives like CyberFirst were pivoted to virtual delivery, so they could go ahead as planned. We are proud to partner with the NCSC to deliver these fully virtual training programmes.”
Comment
Fiona Boyd, Head of Enterprise and Cyber Security at Fujitsu hailed the NCSC’s CyberFirst summer courses as a first step towards tackling the STEM skills gap. “The cyber security skills gap in particular is too large for organisations to ignore with a reported 3.5m unfilled positions expected by 2021.
“Raising awareness of a cyber security career at an early age can help introduce younger students into the industry with a variety of ideas and ways of thinking. In turn, a well-trained cybersecurity team can not only prepare for the future, but stay ahead of emerging cyber security threats that may manifest from technologies such as AI and 5G.
“Government, academia, law enforcement and businesses all have a part to play in talent identification. We all need to work collectively and shine a spotlight on cyber security careers for students – who may not be suited to traditional higher education – so they can develop key skills for the future. Only by training a diverse workforce and encouraging different ways of thinking in cybersecurity can we hope to adequately defend the UK from hackers and other nefarious actors.”
